Call for new station at Bracken Ridge

[ozbob]

http://www.questnews.com.au/article/2007/09/04/20150_nc_news.html

Plan to derail North

SEPTEMBER 5: Brisbane?s outer-northern suburbs will be ignored in the Queensland Government's $5million study into train services, despite recording the highest growth in passenger use since 2006.

Passenger demand on the Caboolture and Shorncliffe train lines has grown 13.5 percent and 9.9 percent in the past year, above the South-East Queensland average of 9.1 percent, but the rail study will focus only on the inner city.

In a further blow to northside passengers, the State Government has started a $324.4million upgrade of the Gold Coast line, which has only shown 6.1 percent growth in passenger demand since 2006.

Rail Back on Track administrator Robert Dow said a new timetable and a new train station at Bracken Ridge, on Telegraph Rd, would help meet the increasing demand for public transport in Brisbane's third most populated suburb.

State Member for Sandgate Vicky Darling said she would ask the Urban Land Development Authority to consider a new train station between Bald Hills and Carseldine or a new bus/rail interchange at Carseldine.

``A potential site for a new station to service Bracken Ridge would be adjacent to sensitive bushland alongside Fitzgibbon (future development) site, so there are many issues to consider,'' Ms Darling said.

Opposition public transport spokesman Tim Nicholls said the State Government needed to focus on the outer suburbs.

``We're still running on an outdated timetable from 15 years ago,'' Mr Nicholls said. ``There is overcrowding right throughout our public transport network, another Labor plan telling us what they may do in 10 to 20 years is not going to solve the problem.''

State Minister for Transport Paul Lucas denied the Caboolture line was being overlooked.

``We've introduced two new services on that line and upgraded one three-car train to a six-car train,'' Mr Lucas said.